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If both Pats and Broncos finish in the same position in their respective divisions.
So for ex. if Pats and Broncos were to finish 2nd in their divisions these two QBs would meet again next year in Gillette stadium.....

If both Pats and Broncos finish in the same position in their respective divisions.
So for ex. if Pats and Broncos were to finish 2nd in their divisions these two QBs would meet again next year in Gillette stadium.....

Just thought i would point it out

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Thanks. I don't know how that works. I'll take your word for it but we're all pretty sure that ain't gonna happen like that. It's a better possibility that they meet in the playoffs.

If both Pats and Broncos finish in the same position in their respective divisions.
So for ex. if Pats and Broncos were to finish 2nd in their divisions these two QBs would meet again next year in Gillette stadium.....

Just thought i would point it out

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This is the reason why the Patriots and Colts met every year for so many years. Now that Manning is in Denver maybe it will translate there.

Thanks. I don't know how that works. I'll take your word for it but we're all pretty sure that ain't gonna happen like that. It's a better possibility that they meet in the playoffs.

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I'm pretty sure this is how the schedule process goes:

6 games within the division

4 games against a certain NFC division (the order is always the same, so we get the same division every 4 years)

4 games against a certain AFC division (again the order is always the same, but every 3 years)

2 games against the teams who finished in the same spot as you did in their division (since we play the AFC north next year, those 2 teams are going to be the same place finisher in the AFC south and AFC west)

So if for example, the pats and the broncos finish in the same rank in their respective division, they'll play again next year. If they don't finish in the same rank, they could still play next year if it's the AFC west's turn to play the AFC east next year. In this case, we played the AFC west last year so the only way that we play the broncos next year is if they finish in the same spot in their division.

Therefore, we already know 14 of our 16 opponents for next year, we are just missing the afc south and west final standings to complete it!

The rotation is pretty straight forward; each division outside your conference every four years, each division within your conference every two years. The two remaining games are played against the two other teams within your conference that finished in the same place as your team did.

2007: NFCE, AFCN; that leaves two games against teams that finished in the same position as you did from the AFCS and AFCW
2008: NFCW, AFCW
2009: NFCS, AFCS
2010: NFCN, AFCN
2011: NFCE, AFCW
2012: NFCW, AFCS

If your team and another team finish in the same place within their divisions (both in first place, or both in 2nd, or both in 3rd, or both in 4th) then they will play each other the following year. If the two divisions don't meet as part of the schedule rotation then they will meet as part of those final two at large games.

In 2013 the Pats will play the Saints and Bucs in Foxboro, and at Carolina and Atlanta (home/away reversed from when the divisions last played in 2009); they'll be at Cincinnati and Baltimore, home against Pittsburgh and Cleveland (home/away reversed from when the divisions last played in 2010); plus home versus an AFCW team and on the road at an AFCS team.

The two remaining games are played against the two other teams within your conference that finished in the same place as your team did.

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Which becomes a bit weird when you finished tied within your own division. That means you are tied with more than one team when you include the inter-divisional teams. They have to apply all the tie breakers to know which divisional opponent to select.

I don't think it's a stretch that the Chargers fall apart and yield to the Broncos, which sets up another firstplace-firstplace matchup between the Broncos and Pats next year. I do believe that the location is selected by W-L record between the two firstplace teams, but I could be wrong about that.

Which becomes a bit weird when you finished tied within your own division. That means you are tied with more than one team when you include the inter-divisional teams. They have to apply all the tie breakers to know which divisional opponent to select.

I don't think it's a stretch that the Chargers fall apart and yield to the Broncos, which sets up another firstplace-firstplace matchup between the Broncos and Pats next year. I do believe that the location is selected by W-L record between the two firstplace teams, but I could be wrong about that.

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Nope; it's predetermined (e.g., "AFC East #1 hosts AFC North #1 and visits AFC South #1"). That's why it went NE@IND three years in a row and then IND@NE three years in a row.

I do believe that the location is selected by W-L record between the two firstplace teams, but I could be wrong about that.

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I don't think so because every team plays 8 home games and 8 away games. If it worked like you say, the top afc seed would have those 2 games at home which would turn out to be 9 at home and 7 away for the season. For example last year we were the top afc seed, and this year we got the Ravens away and the Broncos at home. I'm not aware of the process about how they figure out which team we get at home and away.

Which becomes a bit weird when you finished tied within your own division. That means you are tied with more than one team when you include the inter-divisional teams. They have to apply all the tie breakers to know which divisional opponent to select.

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They have to do it anyway to determine draft order (for non-playoff teams) and playoff seeding (obviously for playoff teams). There are no ties within a division at the end of an NFL season, even for teams with the same record.